THE MISERY OF MUTINTA : Episode 8 & 9

EPISODE 8

Madam didn’t give me breakfast that morning and by noon I was disoriented.
My tummy was on fire and the hunger pangs in my stomach had increased ten folds.
Madam handed her little baby to me around eleven o’clock that morning.
I carried the little baby from that time till around four in the evening on empty stomach.
Even the pap I was to give to the baby, I drank half out of hunger.

I needed to quell the pangs in my stomach and any edible could do.
Madam woke up around 4.30pm in the evening and collected her baby from me.
She didn’t even mention anything about giving me food and this piqued me.
I didn’t know what to do.
I just sat in the kitchen deep in thought. I had no money on me so I couldn’t think of buying food.

So I just sat there hoping that a miracle would happen.
Around five minutes past five, madam called me and gave me K10/$1 to go to a nearby supermarket and buy bathing soap for her.
I took the money and left immediately.
There was a woman selling nice baked scones along the road and the sweet smell of the woman’s scones suggested new ideas into my hungry mind.
Before I knew what was happening I bought two big scones at the price of two kwacha fifty

Ngwe (K2.50N) each and sat at one corner of the road to devour it.
The scones were very hot yet I ate quickly and hungrily.
When I finished, I bought sachet water and augmented the Scones and my stomach returned instantly to normal.
Then I started thinking of a believable narrative to tell my madam.

EPISODE 9

I concluded to tell her that I got to the supermarket and couldn’t find the money again which after looking for it everywhere I couldn’t find it.
I knew the story may not go down well with her but I had no other option.
There was no way I could tell her that I used her money to buy scones out of hunger so I had to tell her something else and face whatever consequence that would emanate.

Madam was sitting in the sitting room with her baby when I got home.
“Where is the soap?” She asked immediately.
“Let me tell you what happened madam,” I stammered nervously. “I lost the money on the way madam so when I got to the supermarket I couldn’t find it again madam.”

“You lost which money?” My madam queried.
“The soap money ma,” I replied.
“You must be very stupid,” she barked. “Come closer and open your mouth!”
I guess my madam had suspected rightly that I used the money to buy something to eat so she wanted to confirm or disprove her suspicion.
With trembling legs I drew closer and opened my mouth.

Madam lay her baby gently on the cushion and smelt my mouth.
“Ohoo,” she exclaimed. “So you used my money to buy scones?” She asked. “And you had the audacity to lie to me that you lost the money?”
Madam descended on me with all the fury her muscles could muster.
When her hands started aching her, she reached for her wire and continued.
I cried out in pain and agony but madam continued undaunted.

A white woman living in the opposite compound was driving by and overheard my voice and stopped to check out what was happening.
She was a lawyer and worked under one Human Rights Commission.
Without knocking she swung our door open and saw my madam red handed flogging me with a piece of wire.

TBC

⬅️ PREVIOUS episode